


Egyptology is an Exciting Science

by wendigo_alderson



Category: Night at the Museum (Movies), Until Dawn (Video Game)
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Crossover, Egyptology student Chris, F/F, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Mental Illness, Night at the Mueseum, Oblivious Egyptian son, PTSD, Possible smut, Sweetie Ahkmenrah, Violence, Vomiting, mentally ill Chris, mentioned self harm
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-12-06
Updated: 2018-03-26
Packaged: 2018-05-05 05:26:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 3,832
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5363018
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wendigo_alderson/pseuds/wendigo_alderson
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Chris wins a contest, giving him access to the Egyptology department in the basement of the National Museum of Natural History, he's excited to say the least. The boy has always had a passion for Egyptology, but when he meets the stunning Ahkmenrah he has a feeling his life is about to take a turn.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. In which I meet a Dead Man

From a young age Christopher had found himself fascinated by the events of the past. To him, they were far more thrilling than the events of the future. In particular, the boy had fallen in love with the lore of Egypt. Ever since he was 6 he had dreamed of exploring the tombs and deserts. Unlike most phases, this one, unfortunately for his prestigious parents, never passed. 

So there he was, standing at the entrance of the American Museum of Natural History. The blonde clutched the strap of his messenger bag tightly, pushing his glasses up onto the bridge of his freckled nose. He’d been randomly selected to have access to the basement of the museum, which contained lots of Egyptian artifacts and records. Out of all 324 participants in the contest, Chris had been selected. A rush of warm air hit him as he pushed the large door open and stepped inside. Chris was no stranger to the museum, though it’d been quite a while since he’d last visited. He took a moment to examine the towering ceilings and the dim glow that bathed the whole room. Someone cleared their throat, causing Chris to jump. A figure behind the front desk leaned forward,  
“You must be the contest winner.” A scratchy voice spoke. Straightening his gray jacket, Chris quickly stepped forward to the desk.  
“Ah yep that’s me. Christopher Washington, but you can call me Chris. I’m attending my first year at Brown University.” The boy answered hurriedly, outstretching a hand. The man ignored the gesture, letting out a low sigh, grumbling something under his breath, before ducking below the desk. He resurfaced a moment later, dropping a key-ring and a yellowed booklet onto the mahogany.  
“Well go on then. Basement is straight ahead and to your right.” The man growled, annoyance apparent in his tone. Chris gave a hasty nod, swiping the items of the desk, half expecting the man to pounce at him. He headed for the back, and it didn’t take him long to find the entrance. A dark blue door, paint peeling to reveal a russet undercoat stood to the side. Chris struggled with the keys for a moment, twisting them into the door knob forcefully, before finally the large blue door swung open. It revealed a dark corridor, with a set of scratchy grey stairs that disappeared into the gloom.  
“How inviting.” Chris mumbled to himself, as he pulled the keys back out of the door, stuffing them into the pocket of his jeans. He started down the stairwell, his feet echoing numbly. The room reeked of mildew and dust, causing his nostrils to flare in slight distaste. The blonde’s feet touched the ground and after a moment of fumbling he found a light switch, flicking it on. The panel lights flickered for a moment before illuminating the room in a steady glare. They let out a slight buzz as they worked but what he saw was worth the annoying noise. Piles of books and artifacts lay scattered around, little pieces of history lining the grungy room. Chris let out a breath of wonderment, the room suddenly feeling less janky. 

After a few hours of exploring, note taking and typing, Chris leaned back, cracking his neck. He’d found a spot on the floor to sit, and currently he had his laptop situated on his thighs and a notebook next to his left knee. It was getting late and Chris found himself digging through his bag for the ham sandwich he’d packed. After a bit of searching, he located the food, grabbing it without hesitation and extracting it from the bag. Pulling it from its plastic bag, he began to munch on the dry bread. As he was chowing down, his eyes caught on the neglected booklet the man had given him. Curiously, the blonde picked it up, flipping open the worn cover. It was a list of rules, in numbered order. Strange ones at that. “Throw the bone? Har Har.” Chris mocked, tossing the papers back onto his bag with a dull thump, and rolling his eyes.  
“Is something funny?” Chris nearly jumped out of his skin at the unexpected voice, barely managing to grab his laptop from falling.  
“Jesus fucking christ!” The blonde exclaimed loudly, looking up to see a figure standing before him. The man towering above him had olive skin and hair the color of soft mahogany. He wore traditional Egyptian threads and a Shendyt, and was quite honestly very handsome. Chris searched for words.  
“Who in the hell are you? I thought I was the only one working down here!” The blonde explained, eyes still wide.  
“I am Ahkmenrah, rightful ruler of Egypt.” He said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. For a moment Chris just stared at him. Then he let out a light huff of amusement.  
“You’ve gotta be fuckin with me. Ahkmenrah died hundreds of years ago. Plus, he didn’t even speak English.” Despite what he said, Chris couldn’t help but feel for some strange reason, that this guy was telling the truth. It was a strange sensation.  
“Ah yes. It’s quite hard to explain the whole thing. I was in the Egyptology department in Cambridge as far as the English speaking part goes. However the whole me being alive is a far more complex matter unfortunately.” He stated.  
“I’m listening.” Chris urged, lifting one of his hands from the floor to prop his glasses up. Ahk then went on to explain the magic of the tablet and how it brought life to everything in the museum. The whole thing was a bit strange and hard to believe and Chris couldn’t help but question his own sanity for believing the man.  
“I have told you the secrets of my tablet, and have not even received your name.” The tan boy clucked.  
“Chris. Christopher Washington.” He explains, smiling gently.  
“Christopher Washington”, Ahk says, as if testing it out, “I like that name.” He decides, his lip quirking up slightly.  
“Thank you. You can thank Josh for the last name.” Chris doesn’t even realize his words before they’re out of his mouth. They sting like a bite. Ahk seems not to notice the expression.  
“Ah, and who is this Josh?” Chris gulps, face paling a bit.  
“He was my fiance.” The freckled man feels choked.  
“If you are to be married, then why is he not here with you tonight?” Ahk asks, puzzled. Chris sucks in a breath, though it comes out shaky.  
“Josh was killed at his mountain lodge 2 years ago.”


	2. In which I discover World's Best Hugger

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After accidentally telling Ahkmenrah about his dead fiance, the 2 experience a moment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THIS CHAPTER TOOK ME FOREVER BUT ITS A DECENTLY LONG CHAP?

Chris bit his lip looking away, fingernails digging into his palms. He silently chided himself for dampening the mood. He was shocked out of this however, by a warm pair of arms wrapping around his torso.  
“I’m very sorry Christopher.” Ahkmenrah mumbled. The taller man’s warmth surrounded him, his lean arms offering a comforting embrace. Chris could feel the heat of Ahk’s exposed stomach against his side, but he wasn’t complaining. After a moment they broke apart, and Chris found himself smiling gently.  
“They should’ve put down in the history books, ‘World’s best hugger’” Chris joked. The Egyptian boy giggled softly and the blonde couldn’t help but admire how cute it was how his shoulders shook when he laughed. God dammit there he went again, falling helplessly in love. 

After almost an hour of small talk with Ahkmenrah, Chris realized how late it was getting.  
“Shit! I have to get going!” The blonde explained, jumping up so quickly that his glasses slipped to the end of his nose. Ahkmenrah stood up, chuckling, and adjusted Chris’s glasses for him. THe blonde was totally not blushing like an idiot.  
“I’ll walk you out. It can get quite chaotic out there.” The dark haired boy offered.  
“Thank you so much.” Chris murmured as he gathered his stuff together. As he stood up he noticed Ahkmenrah’s kind eyes following him. Chris offered him a faint smiling before following the gold-clothed man up the dusty stairs. Ahk was indeed correct, the whole museum was buzzing with exhibits that had come to life. As they made their way to the front Chris was practically toppled over by a sleek lion darting past him. The freckled boy let out a yelp, but before he could topple to the ground, something caught him. Chris soon realized that he was not on the floor, and that there were and strong and familiar pair of arms gripping his waist tightly. Chris fell back against Ahkmenrah, the steady man holding him in place. Chris was practically laying back against the other man’s chest, and the freckled man began to get flustered, looking up at Ahk through his bangs. It took the blonde a few moments to realize that when Ahkmenrah had grabbed him, instead of his hands going on top of his shirt, they had landed underneath. And now Chris stood in his arms, shirt almost completely ridden up, the egyptian beauty’s strong arms grasping his bare waist. The freckled boy stuttered and Ahk quickly stepped away sheepishly, mumbling an apology. The rest of their walk to the entrance was uneventful and Chris found himself slightly disappointed. As they stood at the door Ahk waved farewell to the blonde. Chris offered a grin before disappearing into the chilly night air.

 

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

 

Chris’s morning began with him vomiting violently into the sink. The memories of Ahkmenrah were still fresh in his mind as stomach acid splurged from his mouth. His medications were causing awful side-effects again. The freckled boy let out a weak cough, wishing for it to just end. His back lurched and he was pitched forward again, throat burning and vomit spewing forth. His whole body shook with convulsions, his skinny frame shivering. As the tremors ceased, the blonde collapsed onto the cold tiled floor, hands grasping at his ruined sweater. Before he had started his meds months ago, he’d been a healthy weight, with a slight chub and thick thighs that he was very proud of. His god damn meds made it impossible to hold anything down anymore. Chris sucked in a breath, in desperate need of a mouth wash. 

After a morning spent cleaning the vomit-filled sink of his apartment and studying, Chris was glad to escape to the museum. As he entered the dark basement Ahkmenrah peered at him curiously.  
“You look like shit.” The warm skinned boy commented. Chris let out a bark of laughter, the Egyptian man’s accent amusing him.  
“Yeah it’s been a rough morning.” Chris commented, his voice gravely. He hadn’t bothered to fix his hair, and his blonde curls were flying everywhere. The bags under his eyes were dark and apparent. Ahk stepped forward, placing his hand on Chris’s chin forcing him to look up. Chris stared into the boy’s dark eyes, his breath quickening. Ahk’s hand dropped from his face and Chris couldn’t help but feel disappointed. It was almost pathetic how much Chris really, really didn’t mind Ahk touching him. Chris’s blue eyes drifted back up to stare into Ahkmenrah’s. And when he looked into those soft brown eyes he was reminded of another pair of brown eyes. Chris didn’t even realize he was crying until he was burying his nose into Ahk’s neck, wrapping his arms around the tan boy’s waist. Ahkmenrah comforted him, mumbling soothing words into the boy’s fluffy hair, running a hand up and down his back. Chris wasn’t sure why these memories of Josh were becoming more frequent but god, they hurt.  
After Chris managed to pull himself together he apologized profusely to Ahk, who just giggled softly, wish was honestly the most heavenly sound.  
“Are you kidding me? Never apologize for that, plus your hair is soft as hell.” There Ahk goes again, making Chris blush like an idiot. Chris attempted to hide his rosy cheeks behind his sweater, but he smiled none the less.  
“Ah man I gotta start working.” Chris mumbled, scratching the back of his head.  
“I can help you.” The offer was surprising and Chris found himself laughing lightly.  
“How did I never think of this before. I should be asking you instead of turning to these ratty old books. You’re a first person source, you’re so much better than some book written 400 years after the occurrence.” Chris could have kissed the boy he was so ecstatic. In fact he wouldn’t really mind kissing Ahk regardless. Ahk sat down across from him, settling onto an old pillow that’d been used for an exhibit at one time. The boy smiled up at him, his coffee colored skin practically glowing in the dim light of the basement. Ahkmenrah was an artist’s wet dream, hell Ahk was a piece of art himself. Chris pushed these thoughts aside, digging out his laptop and quickly opening up a blank document.  
“How would you describe your father?” Chris decided to start off basic, offering a grin to the man opposite him. Ahkmenrah purses his lips for a moment, thinking.  
“Merenkahre was on the surface, a somewhat terse and stickler man. Most thought he was strict and stubborn. But deep down he was a loving man with a loving soul. He cared about me very much.”  
Chris nodded as his fingers moved sporadically across his keyboard, writing down Ahk’s exact words.  
“This question might be a little personal okay?” Chris warned. Ahk nodded, still smiling gently. “What was your death like?” Chris practically cringed as the words escaped his mouth. But the Egyptian man’s face showed no anger or despair, just puzzlement.  
“I don’t remember how I died. But I do remember being buried somewhere along the Nile River.” Ahkmenrah murmured, voice soft and considerate. Chris bit his lip, writing down his words.  
“Alright, one last question before I let you free of my nerdy questioning.” Ahkmenrah let out a small laugh at that, grinning. Chris couldn’t help but crack an amused expression at this.  
“How did you take your parents death?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ey guys thank you so much for reading, please leave feedback or any comments you got :)


	3. In which love is both shocking and comforting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Love truly is found in the strangest places, Chris has decided.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long wait. Stress is a thing.

Suddenly Ahk wasn’t grinning anymore. Chris didn’t realize this until he looked up from his keyboard. “Ahk?” He asked tentatively, worried eyes gazing at the boy who was looking anywhere but him.

“My mother died of a strange illness when I was only about 15.” The boy paused for a moment. “After that my father fell into a great depression, I barely saw him smile. When I was 17 he died of some sort of heart failure.” Ahk finished, still not looking up. Chris opened his mouth to say something but Ahk cut him off.

“I regret their death because I want to know. I want to know if they’d still love me.” He whispered, eyelashes covering his almond irises.

“Why would they have any reason not to love you Ahk you’r-”

Ahk looked up meeting Chris’s eyes and there were tears that refused to slip down his clenched jaw. “Because I’m gay.” He growled, eyes scrunched up. Chris forgot about his notes the moment he saw Ahk’s shoulders shaking. Chris rushed over, wrapping his arms around Ahk. At first the tan boy protested, but he soon collapsed into Chris, clutching his shirt as he was wracked with sobs.

“Hey listen Ahk, I have to tell you something.” He mumbled softly.

“What is it?” Ahkmenrah sniffled, hands still clutching at the fabric of the blonde’s sweater.

“I’m gay too.” Chris told him. The tan boy’s eyes widened in surprise and his face lit up, and suddenly he was crying happy tears while Chris grinned happily, stroking Ahk’s hair.

   

* * *

 

 

         When Chris woke the next morning his stomach was churning uncomfortably, but there were no signs of vomiting. He was happy to live with that. As he brushed his teeth he stared into his reflection, analyzing himself. Same freckled complexion, blazing eyes and white washed hair. He’d dyed it a silverish white color the last summer, and it’d faded to a light whitish gold now. He spit out the mint tooth paste, padding back to his room.

When he walked into the museum that evening he could still taste the mint in his mouth. He hummed quietly to himself, slightly off key, as he strode toward the blue door, and quickly opened it with the keys. Chris then continued down the stair well, flicking on the lights and setting his bag down, the brown leather accommodating to the shape of the floor. But before he could let out a breath of ease, suddenly there were a pair of lips on his. Chris made a grunt of protest, as the mysterious person continued to kiss him passionately. The lips were soft but their force was aggressive, tongue flickering at Chris’s own. The blonde wasn’t sure what sense kept him from pushing whoever it was away. Was it the scent of woodsmoke, that reminded him of someone all too familiar, or the sweet taste of their lips, that held a trace of green tea? He barely even registered his shirt being unbuttoned until it slid off, crumpling to the cold gray floor. The person had managed to back him onto a chair and was now straddling his lap, causing a slight friction. Chris bit back the urge to groan, instead trying to gain a cool head. That realization seemed to bring him back and the blonde broke away quickly, gasping for air. After a moment of wheezing he gazed up, flustered. Dark, chestnut eyes like a hawk peered down at him, flecked with lust.

“A-Ahk?” He stuttered, in surprise, suddenly feeling self conscious. All the shirtless tan boy did in response was latch his mouth onto the blonde’s neck, sucking at the tender skin and letting out a content hum. Despite how heavenly it felt, Chris pushed him away, with great mental effort, forcing the shirtless Egyptian boy to look at him.

“Ahk, Ahk what is this about?” He asked, curiously, adjusting his glasses with one hand. Ahk looked surprised, sitting back on Chris’s lap suddenly, hawk eyes widening. Chris tried to ignore the fact that at this angle he could see the defined V dipping into the boy's cargo pants that he must've found somewhere. 

“You said you were gay, yes? Therefore you would be willing to give yourself to me?” Ahkmenrah asked puzzled, head quirking to the side. Chris's eyes flickered between the boy's face and his beautiful collarbones, so out in the open and-

“No, no Ahk things are different these days. People don’t give themselves up to you. You have to earn their love.” Chris explained, blue eyes flickering across Ahk’s face as he tried to distract himself. The freckled boy couldn’t help but a reach a hand up to tuck a loose curl behind the man’s ear,  gently cupping the boy’s face. His fingers brushed lightly along the line of Ahk's cheekbones, as the Egyptian boy let out a soft hum. Ahk moved to grab Chris’s wrist gently, but by the time the blonde realized what he was doing it was too late. 

 


	4. The Beast

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys! This fic is discontinued but I found this in my drafts and figured I'd add it anyways. TW for self harm.

Ahk pulled his hand back in surprise, slowly. The egyptian boy intertwined his fingers with Chris’s, using that to then methodically flip the boy’s hand over. Chris let out a shuddering breath as he made eye contact with them, quickly squeezing his eyes shut. Meanwhile Ahk just stared, eyes wide. It looked like someone had taken a weed wacker to the poor boy’s arm, the angry slashes running from the very heel of his hand up to his elbow. The marks were angry and red, the skin raised and bumpy, causing a sort of slope. Tan finger lightly trailed up his wrist and the blonde squirmed.   
“Christopher what type of beast did this to you?” Ahkmenrah breathed, pupils dilated in shock. Chris took in a shaky breath before replying.  
“I-It- Ahk I don’t know how to say this. It-.” Ahkmenrah put a soothing hand on Chris’s shoulder. He didn’t have to speak to let the boy know he was there and he was ready to listen. Chris gulped, trying to calm himself, adam’s apple bobbing. “It was me Ahk. I’m the beast. I caused those marks.” He whispered, looking anywhere but the kind eyes of the arabian boy who had shown him love that he had never expected. For a moment everything was silent, save for the sputtering of the old heating vents, trying to do their job.   
“Why?” was all he asked. Chris shook his head lightly.  
“I was so angry and upset, I felt lost and ugly. I remember when Josh found me he cried. I was bleeding everywhere and he was wearing one of those expensive Polo shirts, but he hugged me and bandaged me up and his nice shirt was completely ruined with blood. I apologized for it but he just laughed and said he’d hated the thing. When I saw him the next day he had a bruise on his arm. He told his mom he got into a fight and she hit him for it. But he just grinned at me like an idiot.” Chris sniffled, leaning into Ahk’s bare shoulder. He smelled like sweat and barley. “Whenever I felt like cutting, he’d remind me that I was beautiful and loved, and to take it one day at a time. He was like my dam, and he kept everything from crashing down on me. I never realized just how much shit that dam had held back until it wasn’t there anymore and suddenly I was drowning in everything and I couldn’t escape.” Chris whispered. Ahk didn’t try to shush him, didn’t interject, he just stroked Chris’s hair and listened. He listened as the blonde weeped and told him about his time in and out of hospitals, about the bandages, the looks.   
“Why is it whenever I’m with you I end up blubbering and crying?” Chris sniffled, but he was smiling lightly. “Admit it you think I’m a big baby.” The freckled boy deadpanned. Ahkmenrah shook his head, not even flinching.   
“No, no I think you are far from that Christopher.” He replied gently, still carding a soft hand through the blonde’s hair.  
“Dude, bullshit.” Chris scoffed, leaning his head back again the bare chest of the Egyptian boy. The hand is his hair paused for a second.  
“The earth is littered with the ruins of empires that believed they were eternal.” Ahk murmurs, as if to himself. “But you Chris. You’re the strongest of them. Because you have experienced the world in a hundred horrors. You did not watch the sun rise over the ocean, you drowned in the frothing sea, and yet your heart still beats gentle as snowfall.” His words sound distant but Chris can’t help but feel their impact as if it were brushing against him. He felt the man’s arms wrap tighter around him, as Ahk placed his chin gently on Chris’s head, enveloping him in a protective hug. Chris did not speak, instead leaning back into the hug, letting his eyes slide shut.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for checking out the first chapter!! Please leave a comment if you enjoyed it ^^


End file.
